Digital ageism? : Analyzing women's depictions on TikTok through user-generated content under #aging and #antiaging

This paper is the result of a research project developed by Ariuntsetseg Erdenebat and supervised by Admilson Veloso da Silva as part of the Scientific Students’ Associations Conference in Budapest (in Hungarian, Tudományos Diákköri Konferencia, TDK). Their investigation won first place in the Communication and Media section at the Corvinus University of Budapest in May 2024 and was classified to represent the university in the national round (OTDK).

Abstract

The global proportion of people aged 60 and above is projected to double by 2050, exceeding 20% of the population. Despite this demographic shift, mass media often misrepresents senior women, associating their value with appearance, while "anti-aging" marketing perpetuates the desire to conceal signs of aging. These portrayals contribute to internalized ageism and gerascophobia, disproportionately affecting women. Visual social media platforms like TikTok have become spaces to explore and challenge these narratives. This study examines how women's aging is depicted on TikTok through user-generated content. Using netnography and qualitative content analysis, 300 TikTok posts tagged #aging and #antiaging from November 2023 to January 2024 were analyzed. Findings reveal that aging is framed largely as a physical process, with women more likely to focus on appearance-related content, reflecting societal pressures. Seven key portrayals were identified: "Anti-aging," "Looking younger and glowier," "Illustrating the aging process," "Accepting aging," "Promoting healthier and longer life," "Challenging ageist stereotypes," and "Addressing premature aging." Finally, this study contributes to understanding age-related discourses in digital spaces and their implications for combating ageism.